Overview

What we do

New Zealand Model Parliament is UN Youth’s newest national event! We are thrilled to invite secondary school students to Christchurch to participate in an interactive and engaging three-day conference focused on New Zealand’s own parliamentary system.

Students attending New Zealand Model Parliament 2019 will experience the process of a bill becoming legislation through the House of Representatives. They will get to take on the role of a Member of Parliament and debate interesting and pressing and relevant issues.

Education

We will be simulating every stage of the bill. This includes Select Committees, where you will have the opportunity to learn about a specific area of New Zealand politics and apply this knowledge to a mock bill. Also included are First, Second, and Third readings of Bills for a fully immersive parliamentary experience. Students will be able to put their debating and public speaking skills into practice during our simulations of the readings of the bill and Committee of the whole house.

The theme of this year’s conference is UN+Constitutional, debating whether or not to codify and entrench New Zealand’s constitution. Representatives will learn not only to debate as parliamentarians, but also the complex issue surrounding constitutional reform. We will be providing comprehensive workshops to ensure you feel comfortable with the material and can fully understand how you can get involved as a citizen.

You do not need to have vast debating or UN Youth experience in order to attend this conference. Our educational content will be engaging and stimulating for students at all levels.

Volunteer and Delegate applications are opening soon – when open, click on the Register tab to apply for this conference.